1. Technical Field
This disclosure relates to methods and systems supporting computer user interfaces and online transactions by a user or content (non-transactional) retrieval (e.g. searches). An example embodiment relates to displaying additional information corresponding to an item represented by a visual indicator in response to a mouseover event.
2. Related Art
An increasingly popular way of delivering information to Internet users is through the use of search engines. Given a user-input search query, usually in the form of a text search string or item selection, the search engine searches databases, websites, and the like for data items, documents, links, and the like that are most relevant to the input search query. The most relevant items are returned to the user in a search result, usually arranged in the form of a list of items on a webpage. More advanced search engines employ context information to tie the search results to particular user behaviors, identities, or profiles. Such user behaviors include user access to a particular web page, user selection (also called mouse-clicking or mouseover) of a particular location on a web page, user entry of a particular search string or keyword, and the like.
Mouseover is the term used to indicate the user action of positioning a pointing device (e.g. a computer mouse) over a visual item on a webpage or user interface display for a pre-determined length of time. Using conventional operating system and user interface tools, a mouseover can trigger a mouseover event that can cause the execution of a particular code segment that processes the mouseover event. In this manner, an action associated with the visual item on the webpage or user interface display can be triggered by a mouseover event. The mouseover is different from a mouse-click, where the user positions the mouse and then presses a selection button. The mouseover does not require the activation of a selection button.
U.S. Pat. No. 7,047,502 discloses a system for analyzing search results by offering preview information when users navigate a computer-pointing device over pre-designated areas of a search result page. A separate icon in the pre-designated area enhances the advantages by providing intuitive preview ability with seamless and natural control over a variety of preview options, such as the type of preview information and the manner in which it is presented. In addition, while operating a preview-enabled search result page, users' behavior provides data and attributes, which may be re-incorporated into the searching algorithm to improve the relevancy of search results.
Although the '502 patent offers preview information when users navigate a computer-pointing device over pre-designated areas of a search result page, the '502 patent does not describe including a count of previously received mouseover events for the same pre-designated areas of a search result. Further, the '502 patent does not describe including a page view count in the preview information. Further, the '502 patent does not describe offering a preview including information indicative of a relevance between the pre-designated areas of a search result and a specific user based on user account information. Further, the '502 patent does not describe offering a preview including an advertisement targeted at a specific user based on the user account information. Further, the '502 patent does not describe offering a preview including transaction information.
Thus, a system and method for displaying additional information corresponding to an item represented by a visual indicator in response to a mouseover event is needed.